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The Comfort Of Ritual

Photo John Mark Hanson

I find great comfort in ritual. The creative impulse can be a very powerful and intoxicating force. Like hot sex It tends to carry you along with the logic of a tornado. Rituals, doing things at the same time, in the same way day after day create a sort of container for this tornado of passion so that it can be a great turbo of creative energy to propel you into new territory with out ripping apart everything in its path.

The unique value of the 'authentic' work of art has its basis in ritual. -Walter Benjamin

One of my daily rituals is putting paint on the pallet when I begin to paint for the day. Burnt Umber, Indian Red, Titanium White and Naples Yellow are now all old friends. When I am putting my colors on to the pallet in the morning regardless of what is going on around me- inside all feels well with the world.